The on-demand streaming landscape looks a lot different today than it did when we first started tracking its customer satisfaction three years ago. The market is saturated with a lot of different streaming services, but are customers happy with them? We surveyed 6,900 real customers to find out.
The ever-growing population of streaming platforms gave us some surprises this year. While Netflix and Disney+ still rank pretty high in most categories, it was Shudder, a horror platform and a newcomer to the CableTV.com rankings, that swept most of the survey.
On-demand streaming trends for 2023
Customers name Shudder the best on-demand streaming service of 2023
This year, customers rated the horror platform Shudder as the streaming service with the highest overall satisfaction.
Shudder is a pretty niche streaming service; it provides only one genre of entertainment as opposed to the wider offerings of Netflix and Hulu. But that could be to its advantage. Customers subscribe for one specific type of content, and Shudder delivers.
There’s no background noise from different types of shows and movies. Shudder doesn’t have to guess which demographics might like certain content because everyone is there for one reason. Shudder isn’t for everyone—of our 6,900 respondents, only 94 have subscriptions, but that’s more than enough to achieve statistical significance, and our resident horror expert loves it.
| Completely or very satisfied | |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 85% |
| Netflix | 82% |
| Disney+ | 81% |
Stream TV like a girl? HBO Max viewers are overwhelmingly female
| Percent of HBO Max subscribers | Percent of Discovery+ viewers | |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 27% | 33% |
| Women | 73% | 67% |
| Other | 1% | 0% |
If you follow TV industry news, you might remember the Warner Bros. Discovery scandal back in August 2022. Following Discovery’s purchase of Warner Bros., the newly merged entertainment company released a presentation for shareholders claiming that of its two streaming services, Discovery+ viewers had a “female skew” and HBO Max viewers had a “male skew.”
Of course, this led to a lot of online backlash, especially when paired with the news that several projects were canceled or removed from HBO Max entirely.
However, CableTV.com’s new survey shows that 73% of HBO Max viewers are women—only 27% are men. While Discovery+ does have a “female skew,” HBO Max has an even stronger skew.
Maybe canceling Batgirl wasn’t such a great move after all.
You don’t have to have kids to enjoy Disney+
| Percent of Disney+ subscribers | |
|---|---|
| No children at home | 47% |
| Children at home | 53% |
The Walt Disney Company has spent a lot of time and effort marketing itself as the company for kids and families. In fact, we here at CableTV.com rated Disney+ as our top streaming pick for families in 2022. You might not expect the service to do very well with childless adults, but the numbers say otherwise.
While Disney+ is indeed more popular with households with children than without, it’s only 53% vs. 47%—remarkably close to a 50/50 split. In addition, 67% of Disney+ subscribers are Millennials or Generation Z. Don’t be surprised if Disney+ content leans heavily into ‘90s and ‘00s nostalgia in the next few years.
Older generations love Amazon Prime; younger generations are watching Disney+
| Age | Percent of Amazon Prime Video subscribers | Percent of Disney+ subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| 18–34 | 18% | 51% |
| 35–44 | 18% | 21% |
| 45–54 | 19% | 11% |
| 55–64 | 21% | 10% |
| 65+ | 35% | 8% |
Have you ever wondered who makes up a streaming service’s target audience? For Amazon Prime Video, it seems to be Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation. People over 65 make up 35% of its subscribers.
To put it another way, Prime Video’s subscribers break down like this:
- 4% Silent Generation
- 35% Baby Boomers
- 30% Generation X
- 24% Millennials
- 6% Generation Z
Meanwhile, Baby Boomers only make up 29% of Netflix subscribers and 20% of HBO Max subscribers.
(So if you’re looking to borrow free two-day shipping privileges from someone, look to your older relatives. Just be sure to ask nicely.)
On the flip side, 51% of Disney+ subscribers are between the ages of 18 and 34 (and that’s not counting kids). The service’s next-largest age group is between 35 and 44, while fewer people 45 and over watch the service.
Hear from real Disney+ customers
Disney+ makes me feel like I can be a kid again.
Highest overall satisfaction
A lot of factors go into customers’ overall satisfaction with a streaming service. Best content, best interface, best price—we asked consumers to consider it all for this category.
This is the first year we’ve included the horror service Shudder in our polls, and it dominates the year’s results. Disney+ is also highly rated for 2023. It lost its top spot in overall satisfaction from last year but gained ground in several other categories.
What is your overall satisfaction with your streaming service?
#1 Shudder (85%); #2 Netflix (82%); #3 Disney+ (81%)
Shudder is 2023’s best streaming service (according to customer satisfaction). This is our first year including the all-horror streaming service in our customer satisfaction polls, and we’re surprised to see it make such a big splash.
As for the rest of the rankings, Netflix holds onto its number two spot, while Disney+ has fallen from first place to third.
Also note HBO Max’s low ranking; at this time last year, the service earned second place. We at CableTV.com personally loved HBO Max and its original content.
However, 2022 was rough for the company after a new corporate structure canceled and removed several popular projects. And while that scandal contributed to its fall from grace, it’s only gotten worse since this survey concluded. HBO Max announced plans to remove Westworld from its platform while I was writing this article. Yikes!
Meanwhile, AMC+ brings up the rear as the streaming service with the lowest customer satisfaction. This is ironic because AMC owns Shudder—maybe AMC+ could learn something from its spooky little sibling.
What is your overall satisfaction with your streaming service?
| Provider | Extremely or very satisfied |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 85% |
| Netflix | 82% |
| Disney+ | 81% |
| Discovery+ | 80% |
| Hulu | 80% |
| Paramount+ | 78% |
| HBO Max | 77% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 76% |
| ESPN+ | 75% |
| Peacock | 72% |
| Apple TV+ | 71% |
| AMC+ | 69% |
Hear from real Shudder customers
Shudder has all the horror movies I love, have seen, haven’t seen, and want to see upcoming.
How well did your experience compare with your ideal of how a streaming service should be?
Percentage of customers responding “Extremely” or “Very close” to the ideal:
- Shudder (89%)
- Disney+ (81%)
- Discovery+ (79%)
Once again, customers say Shudder comes pretty close to the ideal streaming service. Well, as long as you’re a horror fan.
For the rest of us, Disney+ is close to ideal, though it still has 19% of customers left to impress. Step it up, Mickey.
Furthest from perfect are Peacock and Apple TV+, which tie for last place. Both are relative newcomers to the streaming world (launched in 2020 and 2019, respectively) and still have a lot to improve upon.
How well did your experience compare with your ideal of how a streaming service should be?
| Provider | Extremely or very close to the ideal |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 89% |
| Disney+ | 81% |
| Discovery+ | 79% |
| Netflix | 77% |
| Hulu | 76% |
| AMC+ | 75% |
| HBO Max | 75% |
| ESPN+ | 74% |
| Paramount+ | 74% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 72% |
| Apple TV+ | 68% |
| Peacock | 68% |
To what extent did the platform meet your expectations as a streaming service?
Percentage of customers responding “Completely” or “Very much”:
- Shudder (86%)
- Disney+ (82%) & Netflix (82%)
- Discovery+ (81%)
Shudder customers subscribe to the service expecting thrills, chills, and gore. Good news—most (86%) of them got it. Disney+, Netflix, and Discovery+ also do a pretty good job of living up to their reputations. A win for honest advertising!
On the other hand, people say they’re disappointed with Apple TV+ and ESPN+. If we had to guess, it’s because Apple TV+ doesn’t offer as much content as its competition.
ESPN+ should benefit from the same “niche service” boost as Shudder. Unfortunately, ESPN+ is essentially its own channel, separate from ESPN, and it doesn’t air ESPN content, which is honestly just confusing.
To what extent did the platform meet your expectations as a streaming service?
| Provider | Completely or very much |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 86% |
| Disney+ | 82% |
| Netflix | 82% |
| Discovery+ | 81% |
| Hulu | 80% |
| Paramount+ | 77% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 76% |
| HBO Max | 76% |
| AMC+ | 75% |
| Peacock | 74% |
| Apple TV+ | 73% |
| ESPN+ | 73% |
Best original content
FOMO is a powerful thing. Sure, having backlogs of older shows and movies readily available on demand is nice, but most streaming services need something else to tempt customers into paying that monthly fee.
Enter original content—shiny, new exclusives. We love a lot of streaming shows and movies here at CableTV.com, but let’s see what customers think.
How satisfied are you with your service’s original content?
#1 Disney+: 83%; #2 Shudder: 82%; #3 Netflix & Discovery+: 79%
Disney+ won the battle for original content this year. In 2022, the service released over 35 new original shows, including Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Willow, and Andor. It has also renewed several popular shows from previous years, including The Mysterious Benedict Society and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Meanwhile, runner-up Shudder has 22 original horror movies released this past year, and we probably don’t have to tell you how much content Netflix releases annually. The results are clear: customers love a steady stream of original, exclusive content.
(Maybe Netflix could rise above third place if it wouldn’t cancel shows so frequently! Warrior Nun could use a third season.)
We think we know the reason AMC+ is dead last—a fair amount of its “exclusives” are actually from cable channels or Shudder. It’s a decent option for cord-cutters, but it’s redundant if you already have AMC through cable or live TV streaming.
Once again, HBO Max might have been higher on this list if viewers could be sure if their favorite shows wouldn’t be cast into oblivion halfway through the first season. RIP, The Nevers.
To be honest, we’re surprised to see Amazon Prime Video so low on the list. Did no one else watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Rings of Power, or Paper Girls this year? We’re also excited for the upcoming sophomore seasons of Vox Machina and Good Omens. Maybe Prime just has a marketing problem?
How satisfied are you with your service’s original content?
| Provider | Extremely or very satisfied |
|---|---|
| Disney+ | 83% |
| Shudder | 82% |
| Discovery+ | 79% |
| Netflix | 79% |
| HBO Max | 77% |
| Paramount+ | 77% |
| Hulu | 76% |
| ESPN+ | 75% |
| Apple TV+ | 74% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 73% |
| Peacock | 73% |
| AMC+ | 70% |
Hear from real Apple TV+ customers
I like a few of Apple TV+'s shows, but there aren’t enough of them.
Best user experience
User experience, or UX, refers to everything that makes a platform nice to use. In a perfect world, you wouldn’t really notice it at all—you’d always be able to find the shows you wanted, navigation would be smooth as butter, and the algorithm would always present you with something fresh and relevant.
Of course, we don’t live in a perfect world. Maybe that new show you’re looking for is buried under rows and rows of irrelevant movies. Maybe your streaming service is constantly trying to autoplay Chainsaw Man—or maybe that only happens to this writer (thanks, Hulu).
How satisfied are you with your user experience?
#1 Shudder: 85%; #2 Disney+: 80%; #3 Netflix: 78%
Once again, Shudder proves itself as a platform that’s just nice to use. It knows you shouldn’t be uncomfortable navigating its interface—save that feeling for when you’re watching its content.
Disney+ and Netflix are the runners-up for UX. Maybe viewers aren’t as frustrated with Netflix’s auto-playing trailers as one might think.
Finally, Apple TV+ comes in last. Considering it’s also from the company that killed the headphone jack and makes communicating with Android phones such a pain, we’re not surprised that Apple would struggle with user experience.
How satisfied are you with your user experience?
| Provider | Extremely or very satisfied |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 85% |
| Disney+ | 80% |
| Netflix | 78% |
| Discovery+ | 77% |
| HBO Max | 77% |
| Hulu | 77% |
| Paramount+ | 76% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 73% |
| AMC+ | 73% |
| Peacock | 73% |
| ESPN+ | 72% |
| Apple TV+ | 69% |
Best customer experience
Customer experience is a lot like user experience. It’s all about the quality of your interactions with a streaming service. But while UX emphasizes utility, CX is a little more vibe-y. Yes, your interaction was smooth, but how did that make you feel?
Unsurprisingly, UX icon Shudder does pretty well in this category, too.
Thinking about your recent interactions with your streaming service, how effective was it at meeting your needs?
Percentage of customers responding “Extremely” or “Very effective”:
- Shudder (86%)
- Disney+ (81%) & Hulu (81%) & Netflix (81%)
- Discovery+ (80%)
When it comes to streaming services, “your needs” could mean a few things. Does it have stellar, hand-curated recommendations? A super-functional search bar? What about accessibility? Can you get all the captioning and audio descriptions that you need?
Once again, Shudder does this all well. Its interface is neatly organized so viewers never feel trapped in that Netflix-y infinite scroll. It also features curated watchlists from real horror lovers and filmmakers instead of an algorithm. (Although if you’re looking for horror recommendations, we’ve also got quite a few lists available).
We’re also not surprised to see Hulu high on this list. There’s a reason it’s our favorite way to watch anime: Hulu does subtitles, especially foreign translations, really well.
Netflix is pretty good at promoting its own new content, even if it has a tendency to cancel shows too soon. But it does struggle with foreign subtitles and voice-overs (just look at the English dub of Squid Game). Netflix does pretty well with captions on native English shows. Did anyone else catch those colorful descriptors in Stranger Things season 4?
Thinking about your recent interactions with your streaming service, how effective was it at meeting your needs?
| Provider | Extremely or very effective |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 86% |
| Disney+ | 81% |
| Hulu | 81% |
| Netflix | 81% |
| Discovery+ | 80% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 79% |
| HBO Max | 78% |
| Paramount+ | 77% |
| AMC+ | 76% |
| ESPN+ | 74% |
| Peacock | 74% |
| Apple TV+ | 72% |
How easy was it to use your streaming service?
Percentage of customers responding “Extremely” or “Very easy”:
- Shudder (89%)
- Amazon Prime Video (84%)
- Discovery+ (83%) & Disney+ (83%) & Hulu (83%)
It shouldn’t be difficult to find content you want to watch when you boot up your favorite streaming service. These platforms spent a lot of money licensing and producing new content.
Once again, Shudder fans find the service easy as pie. Prime Video customers feel the same, maybe in part due to Alexa integration. Never discount how useful a voice assistant can be, especially when 57% of people are watching on a smart TV or streaming device.
And in a rare three-way tie, customers feel equally good about Discovery+, Disney+, and Hulu.
In contrast, users have a harder time with Apple TV+, AMC+, and ESPN+. Turns out the “plus” modifier doesn’t necessarily indicate a better experience.
How easy was it to use your streaming service?
| Provider | Extremely or very easy |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 89% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 84% |
| Discovery+ | 83% |
| Disney+ | 83% |
| Hulu | 83% |
| Netflix | 82% |
| Paramount+ | 82% |
| HBO Max | 80% |
| Peacock | 80% |
| Apple TV+ | 77% |
| AMC+ | 74% |
| ESPN+ | 74% |
How enjoyable were your interactions with your streaming service?
Percentage of customers responding “Extremely” or “Very” enjoyable:
- Shudder (87%)
- Disney+ (82%)
- Paramount+ (80%)
Horror fans really enjoy using Shudder. It’s great at leaning into that 1980s VHS tape nostalgia—and how many other streaming platforms have their own theme song?
In second and third place are Disney+ and Paramount+. Both platforms have interfaces that easily break up content into their respective brands (like Marvel or Nickelodeon), which may contribute to their success. They also advertise their products as part of a “magical” universe—have you seen those commercials that try to put Monster High, The Good Fight, and Star Trek all in the same continuity? We love us some brand synergy.
Customers call Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and ESPN+ the least enjoyable to work with. It’s interesting to note that while Amazon Prime Video ranked high in the “ease of use” category, customers don’t necessarily enjoy using it.
We’ve personally found that Prime Video’s interface often mixes streaming shows with video-on-demand titles and premium channels, leaving users confused about whether they have to pay an extra fee to watch its recommendations.
How enjoyable were your interactions with your streaming service?
| Provider | Extremely or very enjoyable |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 87% |
| Disney+ | 82% |
| Paramount+ | 80% |
| Discovery+ | 79% |
| Netflix | 79% |
| Hulu | 78% |
| AMC+ | 75% |
| HBO Max | 75% |
| Peacock | 75% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 74% |
| Apple TV+ | 74% |
| ESPN+ | 74% |
Most reliable
Again, if your streaming service is reliable, you shouldn’t notice it. It should just work—the app should always load properly when you open it, and your shows should play with minimal buffering. Reliability is a huge deal breaker for customers.
Some services are extremely reliable. But according to the customers, some really aren’t.
How reliable is your streaming service?
#1 Disney+ & Shudder: 81%; #2 AMC+: 79%; #3 Netflix: 78%
Disney+ and Shudder are tied for first in reliability this year. Both Disney fans and horror lovers experience their favorite shows and movies with minimal buffering and errors.
We’re very surprised to see AMC+ in the number two spot for this category. Our own experiences with AMC+ have been less than reliable, and members of our staff have had a lot of technical problems while watching Interview with the Vampire.
In fact, AMC+ is so unreliable we usually advise horror fans against taking advantage of AMC+’s built-in Shudder library. Instead, it’s better to subscribe directly to the Shudder app itself.
ESPN+ and HBO Max rank as the least reliable by customers. HBO’s Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon had a popular first season, but that popularity led to very public technical problems. Sometimes the HBO Max app would crash or fail to display new episodes as they were meant to air. These kinds of problems can happen on other platforms too, but House of the Dragon’s visibility probably led to that low rating.
How reliable is your streaming service?
| Provider | Extremely or very reliable |
|---|---|
| Disney+ | 81% |
| Shudder | 81% |
| AMC+ | 79% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 78% |
| Discovery+ | 78% |
| Netflix | 78% |
| Apple TV+ | 76% |
| Hulu | 76% |
| Paramount+ | 76% |
| Peacock | 76% |
| HBO Max | 75% |
| ESPN+ | 74% |
Hear from real AMC+ customers
AMC+ is not what it could be, it buffers more than others and the quality of programming is lacking.
Best bang for your buck
The economy was in a weird place in 2022, and several streaming services increased prices to maintain profit margins or just stay afloat. But consumers care more about their own wallets, and not every streaming service offers enough content to justify that ever-rising subscription fee.
So which services are worth it? Keep reading to see where customers draw the line.
Given the quality of your streaming service, how would you rate the price that you pay for it?
#1 Shudder: 83%; #2 Discovery+: 80%; #3 Disney+: 79%
At the time of publishing, standalone Shudder plans start at $5.99 a month. That’s pretty reasonable for all the killer content the plan gets you, which is probably why consumers rate it the best price for the quality.
Disney+ has been doing well in quite a few categories, so we’re not surprised consumers think it has good quality, but the company introduced a price hike between the end of this survey and publishing. We’re curious to see if customers still feel as fondly about the service after a year of those new prices.
There’s a couple of reasons why ESPN+ might be at the bottom of this list. For one, ESPN+ is best as an addition to the regular ESPN content on cable, satellite, or live TV. It doesn’t replace the channel itself the way that HBO Max replaces HBO or AMC+ replaces AMC. And sports aren’t programs you wait and watch several months after they premiere like shows on Discovery+ or Disney+. Most would expect more from ESPN+ for $9.99 a month.
ESPN+ is also part of the Disney Bundle with Disney+ and Hulu. Customers who only want Disney+ and Hulu are still better off getting the bundle, but they’re then stuck paying for a third service they’re not interested in. It’s kind of the opposite of the Shudder phenomenon—a much smaller percentage of people are actually subscribed because they want to be.
Given the quality of your streaming service, how would you rate the price that you pay for it?
| Provider | Extremely or very reliable |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 83% |
| Discovery+ | 80% |
| Disney+ | 79% |
| AMC+ | 77% |
| Paramount+ | 75% |
| HBO Max | 74% |
| Apple TV+ | 73% |
| Hulu | 73% |
| Netflix | 73% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 72% |
| Peacock | 72% |
| ESPN+ | 70% |
Given your expectations for your streaming service, how would you rate the price that you pay for it?
Percentage of customers responding “Excellent” or “Good” given their expectations:
Discovery+ (82%)
Shudder (81%)
Disney+ (80%)
Customers don’t always know whether a service’s quality will live up to its price. Discovery+ took the top spot for this category, at 82% of its subscribers found its price ($4.99–$6.99 per month at the time of publishing) to be exactly as expected. Shudder and Disney+ also rank in the top three, so it seems expectations line up pretty well with quality.
Apple TV+ sits at the bottom of this list. While it isn’t last in the previous category—suggesting that some users were pleasantly surprised by the quality after subscribing—a lot of users eye that $4.99 price tag warily for such a small catalog. That’s a rare marketing “L” for Apple.
Given your expectations for your streaming service, how would you rate the price that you pay for it?
| Provider | Extremely or very reliable |
|---|---|
| Discovery+ | 82% |
| Shudder | 81% |
| Disney+ | 80% |
| Hulu | 76% |
| Paramount+ | 76% |
| AMC+ | 75% |
| Netflix | 73% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 72% |
| ESPN+ | 72% |
| HBO Max | 72% |
| Peacock | 71% |
| Apple TV+ | 68% |
Hear from real Hulu customers
Reservation Dogs would be enough on its own to justify subscribing to Hulu.
Given competitors’ prices, how would you rate the price that you pay for this streaming service?
Percentage of customers responding “Excellent” or “Good” given competitors’ prices:
Shudder (84%)
Discovery+ (81%)
Disney+ (77%)
We’re not surprised to see Shudder and Discovery+ topping this list. As far as streaming services go, they’re pretty cheap. (It’s interesting to note that Apple TV+ is cheaper than Shudder at the time of writing, but it’s still stuck at the bottom of this list.)
Disney+ also rates as having one of the best prices compared to competitors; although again, it’s worth mentioning the service’s newly implemented price hike between the survey and me writing this article. The survey results reflect the old $7.99 monthly price before Disney+ introduced an ad-supported plan and raised all of its standalone and bundle prices.
Given competitors’ prices, how would you rate the price that you pay for this streaming service?
| Provider | Extremely or very reliable |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 84% |
| Discovery+ | 81% |
| Disney+ | 77% |
| Paramount+ | 74% |
| Hulu | 72% |
| AMC+ | 71% |
| Peacock | 71% |
| HBO Max | 69% |
| Netflix | 69% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 68% |
| ESPN+ | 68% |
| Apple TV+ | 67% |
Highest customer loyalty
Branding is so important. If customers trust a brand, they’re more willing to overlook imperfections and try new products on the brand’s name alone. Every company wants to be a household name. (Totally unrelated, but have you signed up for our email list yet?)
We think there are a couple of ways to measure customer loyalty. One is how likely someone is to continue subscribing to a service (even after their favorite show ends!), and another is how likely they are to recommend the service to a friend.
How likely are you to continue to subscribe to your streaming service?
#1 Shudder: 86%; #2 Disney+: 82%; #3 Discovery+: 81%
Shudder’s subscribers aren’t going anywhere. As you may have guessed by the platform’s overwhelming success in other customer satisfaction categories, Shudder subscribers are pretty pleased with the service. Maybe it’s the personal touch from the hand-picked horror watch lists that give the service its edge.
Disney+ and Discovery+ also rank well in this category, so both the Marvel Cinematic and the 90-Day Fiancé universes are safe for now.
However, people seem more inclined to cancel their Peacock and Apple TV+ subscriptions—or maybe they never committed at all and are just using the free trial periods. (As a little aside from the writer, I have Peacock through a Spectrum promotion and Apple TV+ from the purchase of a new device, so I can relate.)
If we had to guess why people break up with certain services, it’d be the lack of regular original content. People love Severance and Ted Lasso, but why stay subscribed in the off season?
It’ll be interesting to see how many people stay subscribed to HBO Max in the coming year; recent programming cuts have really diminished the value of the platform.
How likely are you to continue to subscribe to your streaming service?
| Provider | Extremely or very reliable |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 86% |
| Disney+ | 82% |
| Discovery+ | 81% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 79% |
| Netflix | 79% |
| ESPN+ | 78% |
| Paramount+ | 78% |
| HBO Max | 77% |
| Hulu | 77% |
| AMC+ | 75% |
| Peacock | 74% |
| Apple TV+ | 72% |
How likely are you to recommend this service to a friend or colleague?
Percentage of customers responding “Extremely” or “Very much”:
- Shudder (85%)
- Disney (81%)
- Discovery+ (80%)
Shudder fans are loyal to the end (even if that end comes at the hands of a terrifying supernatural entity). When asked if they would recommend the service to a friend or colleague, 85% of Shudder subscribers answered in the affirmative.
Disney+ and Discovery+ are similarly popular. Plenty of people love talking about The Mandalorian and Shark Week at the proverbial water cooler.
Not as many people would recommend Apple TV+. Sorry, Ted Lasso. Guess you have to believe a little harder.
How likely are you to recommend this service to a friend or colleague?
| Provider | Extremely or very reliable |
|---|---|
| Shudder | 85% |
| Disney+ | 81% |
| Discovery+ | 80% |
| AMC+ | 75% |
| Netflix | 75% |
| HBO Max | 74% |
| Hulu | 74% |
| Paramount+ | 74% |
| ESPN+ | 71% |
| Peacock | 71% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 69% |
| Apple TV+ | 67% |
Final take
The main thing to take away from this year’s customer satisfaction survey is that it sometimes pays to cultivate a small but dedicated group of loyal fans. Shudder is maintained by a relatively small team (LinkedIn puts the company size at somewhere between 11 and 50 employees), but it puts in the work to make every customer experience feel nice.
It also pays to be a legacy corporation with almost 100 years of experience building brand recognition and investing in popular IP. Disney+ certainly deserves its high rankings as well.
So what does this all mean for you as a consumer? Unlike cable TV and internet plans, on-demand streaming services aren’t mutually exclusive. You may end up subscribing to more than one service on this list, and some services may have a better reputation than others. In the end, it all depends on what you personally want to watch and what you’re willing to pay.
Hopefully this whole exercise has given you a better idea of what other people are watching and the standards to which you should hold your entertainment services.
Methodology
We surveyed nearly 6,900 people across the US to measure satisfaction with their on-demand streaming service. Our sample represented broader US demographics (e.g., gender, race, age, etc.) and was analyzed using prevailing industry standards by our data experts. If you’re a member of the media and have follow-up questions, feel free to contact us at pr@cabletv.com.
